Giving Back? Can small companies give back?

Businesses both large and small work at giving back to the community in many ways, during a disaster both local or in other parts of the country or rallying around at the holiday and adopting a family.

Corporate Giving, also known at corporate philanthropy, refers to the act of for- profit companies donating some of their profits or resources to charity.  Donations may come from the company directly, or through separate, company-sponsored foundation or public charity.

When you are a small company like we are, you want to give back!!!  You may not have a corporate giving budget.  There are 3 easy ways you can give back

1. Donate items from your organization
2. Volunteer your time
3. Adopt a family

Several years ago, as a small business owner I wanted to think of a way we could give back that would make an impact on people’s lives.  At Christmas I was volunteering at a food/clothing pantry.  I asked the director what was needed most.  They serve a huge homeless community.  She said the greatest need was socks.  If you have wet or cold feet, it is so uncomfortable and leads to illness. So…Socks in September was born.  As a small company we reached out to our customers, friends and organizations to help with donations.  We have been amazed at the generosity of people.  This year we collected 2,200 pairs of socks.  Just think how many people will get a new pair of socks to keep their feet warm and dry.

We have been collecting socks for Socks in September for 11 years and have collected over 30,000 pairs of socks.  It’s simple, it’s fun and it’s giving back.

The most important thing to remember is that just because you are a small company does not mean you cannot do big things. Even the smallest actions can have a huge impact on the lives of others.